Novel Selling Secretshttp://novelsellingsecrets.com
Sat, 14 Mar 2015 15:49:46 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.1.245 Tips for Rocking NaNoWriMohttp://novelsellingsecrets.com/2012/10/5-tips-for-rocking-nanowrimo/
http://novelsellingsecrets.com/2012/10/5-tips-for-rocking-nanowrimo/#commentsThu, 11 Oct 2012 16:16:12 +0000http://novelsellingsecrets.com/?p=1266NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) is a fun annual challenge to writers to write 50,000 words of a novel in one month. It happens every November and thousands of authors around the world sign up to participate! If you’re thinking about joining in this year, take a look at our 5 essential tips on how to ROCK NaNoWriMo from Novel Selling Secrets founder and bestselling author, Jessica Brody!

]]>http://novelsellingsecrets.com/2012/10/5-tips-for-rocking-nanowrimo/feed/0True Publishing Story: Gretchen McNeilhttp://novelsellingsecrets.com/2012/07/true-publishing-story-gretchen-mcneil/
http://novelsellingsecrets.com/2012/07/true-publishing-story-gretchen-mcneil/#commentsFri, 20 Jul 2012 16:00:05 +0000http://novelsellingsecrets.com/?p=1075For this next installment in the “True Publishing Story” series, we recently sat down with Gretchen McNeil, author of POSSESS which is published with Balzer + Bray, an imprint of HarperCollins.

Gretchen’s tips:

Focus on new projects during the lulls in the lengthy publishing process

Enjoy the time when you’re writing for yourself, not on deadline

Getting rejected is part of the process of becoming (and being) a published author. Make the commitment to yourself to continue to write and improve your skills to get through all the rejections.

Remember, rejection isn’t personal. Instead of taking a rejection as a personal attack, look for feedback within it that can help you improve.

The further along you get in the publishing process, the more stressful it gets. So to keep the stress in check, be sure to take the time to celebrate and enjoy the small wins along the way.

]]>http://novelsellingsecrets.com/2012/07/true-publishing-story-gretchen-mcneil/feed/0True Publishing Story: Jennifer Bosworthhttp://novelsellingsecrets.com/2012/06/true-publishing-story-jennifer-bosworth/
http://novelsellingsecrets.com/2012/06/true-publishing-story-jennifer-bosworth/#commentsWed, 27 Jun 2012 16:27:35 +0000http://novelsellingsecrets.com/?p=1072This is the first installment of our “True Publishing Story” series, where we’ll be speaking with authors to get the inside scoop on how they got published. If you’re an aspiring author and wondering how to get published, this series is for you!

Last month, we had the opportunity to sit down with debut author Jennifer Bosworth to discuss how she got her first book, STRUCK, published with Macmillan Childrens Publishing Group.

Jennifer’s tips:

Attend writers conferences and pitch-fests to meet others in the industry and hone your skills

When receiving feedback on your work, ask yourself if the changes suggested will just make the reviewer happy, or if they will actually strengthen your story

In addition to friends, relatives and other aspiring authors, try to get input from editors (possibly freelance) and/or agents

Try to maintain a balance between creativity (incorporating lots of new ideas) and structure (a solid outline of your main story points)

Don’t put too much pressure on yourself to publish everything you write. Not every idea comes at the right time and place to be purchased by a publisher – even for established authors

Join or create support groups with other writers, but at the same time, don’t forget your readers!

Recommended resources:

A big thanks to Jennifer for taking the time to share her story! You can pick up a copy of STRUCK on Amazon, B&N, IndieBound, or at your local bookstore. And make sure to check out her awesome book trailer!

]]>http://novelsellingsecrets.com/2012/06/true-publishing-story-jennifer-bosworth/feed/0Getting Published Step 1: Writing your Novelhttp://novelsellingsecrets.com/2012/05/getting-published-step-1-writing-your-novel/
http://novelsellingsecrets.com/2012/05/getting-published-step-1-writing-your-novel/#commentsSun, 27 May 2012 06:06:54 +0000http://novelsellingsecrets.com/?p=158Writing a novel is a complicated and oftentimes difficult process. It’s a never-ending learning curve. The best two pieces of advice we offer writers is this: read and write.

Read!

Writing a novel is a very complicated process, and one of the best ways to hone your writing skills is to read everything you can in the genre you’re writing. Not to copy it, but to study the style, voice, structure and character arcs. Start by reviewing these attributes of the bestselling books in your genre. The bestselling books are doing just that – they’re selling. And although writing is an art, at the end of the day, publishing is a business – and the publishers are in it to turn a profit. Studying the make-up of the profitable books can help you discover new tips and tricks to write the next bestseller.

Write!

Write and write often! Writing is a craft that needs to be honed. Just like a musical instrument. You can’t expect to pick up a violin and play a concerto if you never practice. Even the most accomplished writers have bad days. The key is to keep going. Try to write every day.

Tips on writing:

If you don’t feel like writing, set a timer and just write for 5 minutes. Most times, once you get started you’ll get into a flow and write for much longer than the original five minutes allotted. But if you get through the five minutes and don’t find your rhythm, go ahead and stop. As Elizabeth Gilbert (author of EAT PRAY LOVE) most eloquently put in her 2009 TED speech – you showed up to do your part, but your genius didn’t – and that’s okay

If you like to build outlines of your novels before you actually start writing, check out SAVE THE CAT!® by Blake Snyder. Although it’s written for screenwriters, the step-by-step “beat sheet” can be applied to any story, including novels. Jessica has actually teamed up with Blake Snyder’s company to teach workshops on using SAVE THE CAT! for novel writing. You can find more information and class schedules on our Craft Your Story page.

]]>http://novelsellingsecrets.com/2012/05/getting-published-step-1-writing-your-novel/feed/0Getting Published Step 2: Revising your Novelhttp://novelsellingsecrets.com/2012/05/getting-published-step-2-revising-your-novel/
http://novelsellingsecrets.com/2012/05/getting-published-step-2-revising-your-novel/#commentsSun, 27 May 2012 06:05:25 +0000http://novelsellingsecrets.com/?p=203After you’re finished with your first draft, you’re ready to move into the second step of the process – revising. Now it’s time to get some feedback. Here are some tips to help you revise and perfect your manuscript so it’s ready for prime time: submitting to agents.

Start by revising on your own

Read through the full manuscript on your own and keep notes on the things that jump out at you that need to be fixed. Once you’re finished, go back through your notes and make the necessary changes

Get a copy of SELF EDITING FOR FICTION WRITERS by Rennie Browne and Dave King

Then, have others give you notes

Join a local writers group or critique group. MeetUp.com is a good place to start. Just search “writing” in your city.

Google “writers group” with the name of your city to find more results

Be sure to get objective notes from at least 3 people

Give them a list of questions up front so they’ll know what to look for. A simple “I thought it was great” is not the kind of feedback you’re looking for at this stage. You need help finding and fixing any specific problems before you start sending your manuscript to agents.

Keep an eye out for similar themes in the critiques coming from two or all three of your reviewers. These are the things that probably need fixing before you start submitting to agents.

A literary agent is your personal liaison to the publishing industry. He or she will work with you to perfect your manuscript, manage the submission process to publishers, negotiate your publishing contract, and provide general advice for your writing career. Agents also act as filters for publishers. They read queries and manuscripts from thousands of authors and pick out the ones they think are most likely to sell to publishers. This lets the publishers focus their attention on publishing and marketing and leave the time consuming process of finding new authors to the agents.

Top 5 reasons you need an agent:

Publishers generally do not accept “unsolicited” manuscripts (i.e. manuscripts directly from the author)

Agents have established relationships throughout the industry and they know the publishing houses and specific editors who would be the best fit for your work

An agent will present your manuscript to many publishers simultaneously, which puts pressure on the publisher to read it quickly and respond with a competitive offer

Agents are expert negotiators. They understand every aspect of a publishing contract and are financially motivated to get you the best deal possible

They are your personal industry expert and can offer advice on writing, what you should work on next, marketing, and your career as an author

Overview of the agent search process

Before you begin searching for an agent, make sure your manuscript is complete, properly reviewed, and in its best shape. Agents almost always require a full manuscript before they will sign a first-time author. And it’s quite possible that an agent will immediately request your full manuscript. So make sure you’re ready to send it out before you begin the query process – once you have an agent’s attention, you don’t want to keep them waiting.

Here’s a quick overview of the agent search process:

1. Creating and perfecting your pitch

2. Writing your query letter

3. Locating specific agencies/agents and doing your homework

4. Submitting your query letter to agents & fielding responses

5. Signing with an agency and celebrating!

The pitch

A “pitch” is a carefully crafted set of brief descriptions of your novel, ranging from one sentence to a few paragraphs in length, that explain the concept in such a compelling manner that those who read it immediately want to learn more. Your pitch is extremely important. The reality is, you are the first link in a long chain of “sales” that need to happen in order to get your book published and in the bookstores for readers to purchase. Your ability to effectively sell your novel with a proper pitch to an agent directly relates to the level of success other parties will have when they attempt to sell your novel further down the chain.

The query letter

A query letter is the initial letter, or more commonly an email, that you send to prospective agencies which introduces you and your book (using your pitch), and requests that they contact you for more information if they’re interested. All your hard work in writing your novel, revising, researching the market and locating literary agencies, comes together at this one letter. It’s perhaps the most important document you’ve written thus far, except for your manuscript. You have to sell your concept and yourself in a way that stands out from the hundreds of other authors trying to get published – all in just a few short paragraphs.

Locating agencies

In order to find the right agent for you and your manuscript, you have to do a little bit of homework. There are thousands of agents out there – each specializing in different genres and styles. In order to zero in on your perfect agent, you’ll need to build an Agent Submission List. This list will be your primary tool for navigating and staying organized during your agent search.

The agent submission process

Here is an overview of a typical agent submission process:

You submit a query letter to an agent.

You wait. Some agents will respond in days, some in weeks, some never at all

You start receiving responses. An agent will either: Pass or Request more information

If an agent requests more information, they will usually ask for one or more of the following: The full manuscript (also referred to in the industry as simply “a full”), a partial manuscript (also referred to as simply “a partial”) which is usually 30 pages or 3 chapters, and/or a full synopsis of your book

You wait again while the agent reviews your materials. This time frame can range from a few days to a few weeks to a few months, depending on the agent, their schedule, how much they requested, and if they ask for other opinions within their agencies.

After reviewing your material, an agent will either pass or offer you representation

Signing with an agent

Choosing whether or not to sign with an agent is a big decision. And it’s not a decision to be taken lightly. Every agent works differently so you want to make sure you’re committing to one that’s best suited for you. Your diligent research earlier on in the process should have helped filter out any fitting agents already, but now it’s time to really examine the agent carefully and determine if they are the right one for you and your book.

]]>http://novelsellingsecrets.com/2012/05/getting-published-step-3-finding-a-literary-agent/feed/0Getting Published Step 4: Submitting to Publishershttp://novelsellingsecrets.com/2012/05/getting-published-step-4-submitting-to-publishers/
http://novelsellingsecrets.com/2012/05/getting-published-step-4-submitting-to-publishers/#commentsSun, 27 May 2012 06:03:26 +0000http://novelsellingsecrets.com/?p=212Once you’ve signed with an agent, your agent will then submit your book to editors at publishing houses and try to get you a sale. Here’s an overview of how the publisher submission process works.

After signing with your agent, she will probably ask you to revise your manuscript based on her notes.

Once your agent believes your manuscript is in “sellable” shape, she will create a submission list of editors and publishing houses that she believes are looking for books like yours.

Your agent will then query those editors and send your manuscript to them.

You’ll wait while the editors read and show the manuscript to other important people within the publishing house

Some editors may want to speak with you on the phone, or ask you questions about the book.

Hopefully then, you’ll receive your first offer!

If an offer is made, your agent will contact any editors that haven’t yet responded to let them know that an offer has been made.

If other editors are interested in acquiring the book, you’ll enter into an auction or bidding war and your manuscript will be sold to the editor with the best offer.

If, after the first offer is made, no other editors are interested, your agent will advise you as to whether or not to accept the offer you received.

If no offers are made on your manuscript, your agent will discuss options for moving forward which may or may not include: revising your manuscript again, approaching additional editors, or possibly starting on a new project.

]]>http://novelsellingsecrets.com/2012/05/getting-published-step-4-submitting-to-publishers/feed/0Getting Published Step 5: Selling your Novelhttp://novelsellingsecrets.com/2012/05/getting-published-step-5-selling-your-novel/
http://novelsellingsecrets.com/2012/05/getting-published-step-5-selling-your-novel/#commentsSun, 27 May 2012 06:02:49 +0000http://novelsellingsecrets.com/?p=215Once your agent sells your book to a publisher two very exciting things will eventually happen. Your book will release in bookstores and you’ll get paid!

Getting Paid

Authors typically get paid in two ways:

Advances

Royalties

An advance is a sum of money paid up front for your book. Officially it is an “advance on future earnings,” meaning it’s the amount of money the publisher thinks your book will earn in royalties. This also means that technically you owe the amount of your advance to the publisher. And they will recoup this amount by keeping your royalties until the advance is paid back. However if your book does not earn enough in royalties to recoup your full advance, you do not need to pay the publisher out of your own pocket. The difference becomes their loss.

A royalty is a percentage of the book’s price that is owed to the author. So for every book that is sold to the public, you receive a percentage of the sale.

Authors often want to know how much their advance will be for their first book deal. Unfortunately there is no way of estimating this. Debut books can sell from anywhere between $5,000 and $500,000 depending on the book, the agent, and the number of publishers interested in purchasing the manuscript. But many reliable sources cite the average book advance for a new author getting published in the United States is around $10,000 for a single book.

Releasing your book in stores

Once you’ve sold your book to a publisher, it will usually take between 1 and 2 years for your book to be released to the public. Here’s an overview of what’s going on behind the scenes at your publishing house during that time:

12 – 24 months out

Work on revisions with your editor

9 to 12 months out

Your manuscript is sent to be “copy edited”

You receive your First Pass Pages (also called “Proof Pages”) which is your last and final chance to review your book and make changes

]]>http://novelsellingsecrets.com/2012/05/getting-published-step-5-selling-your-novel/feed/0How to Search Amazon and B&N for Best Sellershttp://novelsellingsecrets.com/2012/05/how-to-search-amazon-and-bn-for-best-sellers/
http://novelsellingsecrets.com/2012/05/how-to-search-amazon-and-bn-for-best-sellers/#commentsFri, 25 May 2012 06:01:20 +0000http://novelsellingsecrets.com/?p=35One of the best ways to understand what’s selling in the publishing industry is quite simply to read. Specifically, you want to read the current best selling books from your genre. The best selling books are doing just that – they’re selling! Reading and studying the makeup of these books will help you discover new tips and tricks that will help you write books that sell.

Here’s how to look them up on two of the most popular online booksellers, which both offer powerful search functions that will help you zero in on your targets:

Amazon.com

1. From the Amazon home page, click on Books to enter their bookstore.

Home > Books. (Click to enlarge)

2. Once in the bookstore, the main navigation bar updates to include Best Sellers as well as the New York Times Best Seller list. Click on Best Sellers. (The NYT list is great to keep an eye on, however, it doesn’t allow you to zero in on your particular genre like the Amazon best sellers does.)

Best Sellers (Click to enlarge)

3. Now, you can use the links on the left to select your particular genre.

Choose genre (Click to enlarge)

4. Once in a genre, you can dive deeper into it by clicking on a subgenre from the left.

Choose subgenre (Click to enlarge)

5. You’re there! The list of books you now see are the best selling in your niche, updated every hour. Purchase a couple and study them. Look for style, structure, character development, etc. to try and determine why these books are selling so well.

Barnes & Noble

1. From the Barnes & Noble home page, mouse over the Books link, then click Best Sellers by Subject.

Home > Best Sellers by Subject (Click to enlarge)

2. Now, you can use the links in the center of the page to select your particular genre.

Choose genre (Click to enlarge)

3. Once in a genre, you can dive deeper into it by clicking on a subgenre, price range, format and/or age group from the left.

Choose subgenre (Click to enlarge)

4. You’re there! The list of books you’re now presented with are the best selling in your genre, updated every day. Again, purchase a couple and study them!

]]>http://novelsellingsecrets.com/2012/05/how-to-search-amazon-and-bn-for-best-sellers/feed/0The Impact of E-Books on New Authorshttp://novelsellingsecrets.com/2012/05/the-impact-of-e-books-on-new-authors/
http://novelsellingsecrets.com/2012/05/the-impact-of-e-books-on-new-authors/#commentsTue, 22 May 2012 06:01:04 +0000http://novelsellingsecrets.com/?p=37E-books have been a game changer for the modern day author. With printing and distribution costs nearly eliminated, the once high hurdles to get published are now more like speed bumps, opening up the world of being a “published author” to thousands of more writers per year than the traditional path could ever handle.

Numerous self-publishing, e-book publishing and print-on-demand companies have sprung up to help authors publish their work. On one hand, these companies are making it much easier on authors. But on the other, the numerous options available have made the process vastly more confusing.

Here at Novel Selling Secrets, we recommend a simple strategy for most new authors: Try the traditional route first. And if your best effort doesn’t get you where you want to be, then begin looking at your self-publishing options. Here’s why:

#1) Resources

With a traditional publisher, every author gets access to tons of the publisher’s resources: Editors to review and critique the story, Artists to design the cover, Copy Editors to double and triple check grammar and spelling, Line Editors to ensure consistency, Marketing teams to build and execute marketing plans, and Public Relations departments to help get interviews. Authors get to focus on writing and promoting, and the rest is taken care of.

#2) Distribution

Major publishers have entire sales departments dedicated to getting their authors’ books into numerous bookstores, both bricks-and-mortar and online, and in both physical formats (i.e. hardback and paperback) and multiple digital formats (i.e. Kindle, Nook and other e-readers).

#3) Foreign Distribution

Traditional publishers and literary agents also have teams dedicated to selling manuscripts to other countries. With little to no work on the author’s part, their books are sold and translated into many different countries, expanding the author’s reach far beyond just their native tongue.

#4) Favorable uncertainty

Self-publishing before seeking a traditional publisher can actually hurt the author’s chances of signing a book deal. Yes, there are cases where self-published authors have collected huge followings that have translated into major publishing deals (a la Amanda Hocking), but it doesn’t happen often. And if sales are low for an author’s self-pubbed work, it could be viewed as a strike against them when seeking literary representation and/or a publishing deal. In many cases, having no track record at all is better than having a track record with limited success.

#5) The advance

Traditional publishers pay the author for their work. The only out-of-pocket expenses of the author are any marketing or promotion they choose to do on their own.

At the end of the day, traditionally published books are not better than self-published e-books. They have simply gone through a different channel to reach the market. Yes, there are more hoops to jump through for a traditional publishing deal and probably more resources applied, but that doesn’t mean that great work doesn’t come through the self-published channels. Self-publishing can make a lot of sense for some authors, with simple contracts and a healthy cut of each sale going directly to the author. But for those who dream of seeing their book on the front table at a bookstore – traditional publishing is the way to go.